BISWANATH CHARIALI, May 25— About 58,000 hectares of reserve forest areas in north Assam have been devastated following aggression by Arunachal Pradesh on the one hand and encroachment by local people and migrants on the other. Though north Assam has been enriched naturally by 28 forest reservers, existence of many of them has remained in hoardings only. In the Sonitpur district alone, which is home to 13 reserve forests with total area of 77,064.22 hectares, about 30,943 hectares of forest cover has been eliminated and encroached upon by various sects of people.
Of late, Arunachali aggression has posed serious threat to the geographical stability of Sonitpur, the home district of Assam legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Tanka Bahadur Ray, ministers Nurjamal Sarkar, Ripun Bora and Opposition leader Brindaban Goswami. Arunachali people of the Nishi community have already encroached upon huge areas of Assam territory and made permanent settlement there. The encroachment by Arunachali people, continued since 1965, has assumed such an alarming proportion that the map of the Sonitpur district would have to be redrawn in a few years to come. With direct support from the Arunachal Pradesh government, the encroachers have set up schools, hostels, churches, battalion camp, power station, water supply scheme, forest office and check-gate, besides residential houses.
It may be mentioned that on March 30 and April 12 in 1979, the then State Governor LP Singh and Chief Ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Golap Borbora and PK Thungan, sat on bilateral discussions regarding the Assam-Arunachal border dispute. A treaty was also signed with both sides agreeing to maintain status quo with regard to inter-State borders. However, the Arunachal Pradesh government has been frequently disregarding the treaty by overly supporting encroachment of Assam land along the border.
While the wireless station set up at Tarasso under Behali Reserve Forest has been providing the Arunachal Pradesh government every detail of activities along the border, its battalion camp remains ever alert to give protection to the encroachers. The situation has gone to such an extent that the encroachers have even started threatening the forest personnel of Assam. Contrary to the pro-active role of the government of the neighbouring State, however, the Government of Assam has remained in long slumber in respect of border land aggression. Not unexpectedly, Sonitpur district has got mention in national and international documents for heavy deforestation, unabated encroachment and smuggling, man-elephant conflict leading to loss of over 200 human lives and killing of at least 38 wild elephants in the last 12 years.
It may be mentioned, the Arunachal Pradesh government started border aggression as long back as in 1974 by setting up primary school and veterinary dispensary at Tarasso under Behali Reserve Forest. Though a bilateral treaty was signed in between the two States in 1979, the Forest department of Assam seized 131 GI pipes of a water-supply scheme installed at Behali Reserve Forest in violation of the treaty on May 28, 1986.
Continuing its aggressive activities, the Arunachal Pradesh government set up a forest check-gate at Biswanath Reserve Forest in 1987. The government also violated inter-State border rules as its Health Minister along with higher officials held a meeting with Arunachali encroachers at Behali Reserve Forest on September 1 in 1988. On February 13 of the same year, the Arunachal Pradesh government carried out a survey in the reserve forest whereas a forest check-gate of Assam at Monai under Naduar Reserve Forest and a bridge at Boimara were destroyed on March 23.
In the year 1988, again, the AP government set up an LP school, forest beat office, water supply scheme under Behali Reserve Forest while in Biswanath Reserve Forest, a range office, employees’ quarters and labour houses were constructed. Further the Home & Education Minister of the State, Samchom Ngemu, inaugurated a school building at Tarasso on November 15, 1990 whereas Assam forest department seized an Arunachal tractor used for tilling cultivable land in Assam territory.
Tension mounted up along the border areas in 1991 following establishment of three schools and two churches by the AP government at Tarasso, Bormai and Pampela areas of Assam. While the State further set up schools, churches, hostel, dairy farm, power station and sericulture farm at Behali Reserve Forest in 1993, a battalion camp was posted at Bagijuli in 1994. In the same year, the AP government constructed a PWD road at Chinglijan whereas in February, 2001 a school was set up at Bagijuli.
On February 17 in 2001, a bid to inaugurated a circle office at Tarasso by the then Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Mukut Mithi, was foiled by last-minute diplomacy of the Assam government. However that the AP government did never think of halting border aggression was proved by the construction of a girls’ hostel at Tarasso in 2002. On the other hand, three wild elephants were killed by electrocution on March 25, 2003 under Chinglijan Reserve Forest and, it should be noted, electrification in the area was done by none other than the Arunachal Pradesh government.